Kogi Govt Condemns Violent Protest At Varsity As PWDs Protest Non-inclusion In Employment

The Kogi State Government has condemned the convulsive protestation staged connected Wednesday astatine the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, by immoderate persons nether the banner of the Association of People Living with Disabilities (PWDs).

The protesters, who locked the university’s main gross and disrupted world activities, claimed they were being marginalised successful employment opportunities astatine the institution.

Mark Samuel and Abubakar Salamat, who spoke connected behalf of the protesters, alleged that the assemblage had consistently excluded them from employment opportunities and claimed to person discovered a caller authorities support for recruitments and are demanding to cognize what percent is reserved for radical with disabilities, successful enactment with the Disability Act of 2018.

While calling connected the university’s absorption to instantly see PWDs successful the university’s recruitment process, the duo of Mark Samuel and Abubakar Salamat, insisted that they would proceed their “peaceful protest” until their demands are met and they are guaranteed adjacent employment rights.

However, successful a connection issued successful Lokoja yesterday, the authorities commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, described the claims arsenic “baseless,” stressing that the instauration has employed respective qualified persons surviving with disabilities successful some world and non-academic roles.
He gave examples of PWDs already successful the employment of the instauration to see Rofiat Ozohu Ohize, who helium said has been serving arsenic Technologist II successful the Chemistry Department since May 20, 2024.

Others according to the commissioner are, Ahmed Rufai Omuya, who assumed work connected 11th January 2024 arsenic an Assistant Executive Officer successful the Registry Department; and Mustapha Obaje, who joined the instauration connected 25th March 2025 arsenic an Assistant Lecturer successful the Technology Education Department, among others.

“These appointments intelligibly show that CUSTECH continues to employment qualified persons surviving with disabilities, based strictly connected competence and merit,” Fanwo said.

He explained that recruitment into world and administrative positions astatine the university, and so crossed each acquisition institutions successful the state, is strictly merit-driven.

According to Fanwo, vacancies are publically advertised, PWDs are fixed adjacent opportunities to apply, and those who conscionable the required standards are employed.

“The exertion process does not bespeak disablement status; it speaks lone to qualifications and competence. This intelligibly shows that the instauration does not discriminate successful immoderate form,” helium added.

While acknowledging the challenges faced by PWDs, the commissioner maintained that their claims of exclusion were unfounded, stressing that the authorities cannot run a quota strategy successful world recruitment wherever excellence and merit indispensable prevail.

Fanwo further noted that the convulsive quality of the protest, the usage of costly signaling gadgets by the protesters, and the dense mobilization of media sum suggested wide governmental undertones.

“As the build-up to 2027 intensifies, it is not astonishing that immoderate politicians whitethorn effort to exploit susceptible groups to make crises and destabilize institutions,” helium said.

The authorities commended the absorption and students of CUSTECH for their maturity and restraint successful the look of provocation, noting that their determination not to retaliate prevented what could person escalated into chaos.

Fanwo reaffirmed Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s committedness to fairness, inclusivity, and work to each citizens, careless of carnal status.

He urged the Police and different information agencies to analyse the incidental and instrumentality proactive measures to forestall a recurrence.

“While the authorities remains committed to inclusivity, we volition not let politically motivated disruptions to endanger the bid of our acquisition institutions,” helium declared.